Chapter 8

Devastation

Calmly walking down the pristine corridor which was attended to around the clock by numerous tiny cleaning droids, Ice looked blankly ahead, putting on the act of a terrified slave who was sent by her master to their host's chambers as a way of showing gratitude. Her mask of timidity fooled both people and security cameras alike, and along the way she received many lecherous and devious gazes and grins from the hardly honourable scoundrels who made up the ranks of Davik's personal security guards.

Son of a bitch sure has it easy up here, she thought to herself as she looked around at the estate which's lavish design was more befitting of royalty. Still being able to recall the days of her youth on Alderaan, she missed the life of comfort she and her family once enjoyed due to her father's successful trading company. She missed her past life dearly, and often dreamt of her parents and siblings.

After coming to the end of the corridor, she stopped in front of a large door, to the right of which lay a security console as described to her by Canderous. She moved her purposely trembling hand to press the circular green button that was designed to alert the crime lord to the presence of visitors, but stopped when she heard a gruffly voice come from the adjacent speaker.

"Aah, I remember you, young miss," Davik's voice greeted her invitingly. His words were accompanied by the sound of fingernails tapping upon glass, suggesting that he was in the middle of a drink. "You were one of Mr. Brenil's personal…attendants, were you not? How may I help you?"

"M-my master, he, uhh," Ice stammered, putting on an act so credible that Davik seemed to fall for it hook, line and sinker.

"Yes?" he replied, drawing long emphasis on the 'e' that it was clear that he was in a most positive mood.

"He…he sent me to you, so that I may be your…personal servant. He says it is his way of showing you thanks for allowing him to be part of your…operations…"

"Has he now?" Davik answered cheerfully, and the sound of the glass being placed on the desk rapidly with a thud could be heard. "Well, then, what are you waiting for? Come in!" The automatic lock of the security doors twisted and turned, and the entrance was left open for Ice to enter. She gingerly stepped in, and immediately to her right and left saw two red-skinned Twi'leks who were less than moderately dressed in one-piece black corsets which left little to the imagination. They looked at her without the slightest hint of livelihood in their faces, then looked forward at a tall rotating chair that was situated at the end of the dimly lit room behind a corporate desk.

She stepped forward, her mind not in the slightest bit distracted by the luxurious sofas, bookshelves, paintings and other ornaments which were scattered neatly around and across the room. After darting her gaze around every corner of the ceiling and ensuring that no more security cameras were present, she affixed her eyes like a hungry feline hunting its unwary prey, upon the chair she expected would turn at any second. A small trail of smoke fumed upwards from behind it, and then a hand became visible, inside its grip lying a cigar.

The chair slowly turned around, and she was greeted by a pair of most lecherous eyes. "Why hello, there miss," Davik grinned, slowly rising from his chair as he extinguished and disposed of his cigar. "I do believe that we haven't had the pleasure of a proper introduction. Please, what is your name?"

"Miranda Braille," she lied, bowing her head slightly forward as she pretended to be nervous.

"A beautiful name, for a beautiful lady," Davik said, walking towards her slowly. After coming face to face with the blonde he found to be so ravishing, he spoke further. "And how old would you be?"

"32."

"I find that hard to believe, seeing that you are such an ageless angel," he chuckled, caressing her pale lips and causing her insides to curdle up in disgust. "But enough of that. You must, understandably, feel very nervous at this moment. To make yourself more comfortable, shall I offer you a drink?"

"A-a drink? Oh, no…no, I surely can't," she shook her head like an obedient slave. "I wouldn't dare to drink, as it may affect my ability to carry out my instructions, sir."

"Mr. Brenil has most bright servants, indeed," Davik remarked.

"Oh, oh, I almost forgot, sir," Ice said, raising a trembling right index finger as she pretended to recall something important. "Master Canderous has asked me to request to you that masseuses be sent to Master Brenil's room as soon as possible. Master Brenil is most fatigued from the rough flight, and seeks to rest once his tour of the estate is finished."

"Ah, of course. I do forget my manners at times," Davik slighed, then looked over Ice's shoulder and called out to the two Twi'lek girls. "Dana, Xana, would you care to go to our guest's room and await him?"

"Of course, master," the women said in unison and departed, the security door closing shut behind them at the touch of a remote by Davik.

"And now, just so that you may comfortably transition to your new life here, I'd like you to come with me," the Exchange leader said to Ice, taking her right hand as he started to lead her to a door that lay a few feet behind his desk. "You see, tending to my responsibilities as of late has left a rather nasty cramp in my lower back. I hope you are a good masseuse to your master, or at the very least willing to learn quickly."

"That I am, sir," Ice smiled, looking to her right and at his face, while her left hand gleefully patted at the folding dagger which was concealed in her inner jacket pocket. "That I am…"

-o-

The proud and decorated Vice-Admiral Krieg stood at the bridge of his personal cruiser, his hands wrapped behind his back as he looked blankly at the sprawling metropolis of Taris below. His relentless nature caused him much irritation as he wished to commence the bombardment immediately so that he could quickly move on to more important matters, but a small part of him instilled in him a sense of patience that was rare for an officer of his reputation.

He knew that down there, billions of innocents were going about their daily lives, without the slightest suspicion of what horrible fate they would be doomed to accept. Young, old, rich and poor – all would soon be equal in death. He knew that soon Taris would be just like any other planet they were driven to destroy: a lifeless, scorched rock devoid of life. And yet, something was different about this planet, and made him almost wish that the decision regarding its destiny could be rescinded. He was blind and closed off to the Force, and yet something seemed to call – almost reach out to him.

Was it his inner conscience? He highly doubted it so. He could not remember his childhood now, even if he tried. The memories were there, but forever sealed off to him, a purposeful attempt on his part to do away with any thoughts that would distract him from his career goals.

His childhood days were long gone, but the details of his journey with the forces led by Revan and Malak to stop the Mandalorians were as clear as day in his mind. His full potential unleashed by the charismatic Revan who rewarded men for their talents, bravery and leadership capabilities after every engagement, he had quickly risen to the rank of Vice-Admiral at a speed which alarmed all of his colleagues and left them in awe, falling short of only Admiral Karath himself.

But that would soon change, and Krieg could feel it in his veins. Soon, the pathetic and useless old man would be seen for the failure and pitiful excuse of an Admiral that he was, and Krieg would rise to take up his rightful place.

Turning around at the sound of the footsteps of the colonel who approached him from behind, Krieg knew that the time had come.

"What is it, colonel?"

"Fleets 47 and 21 are in position, sir," the dark-haired man in his thirties informed him with a salute. "We only await fleet 23 to take up position, and then the bombardment may commence."

"I grow tired of waiting, colonel," Krieg grumbled, then began to make quick steps to the hangar. "Have my shuttle prepared to transfer to the Leviathan. I will inform Lord Malak that the destruction of Taris shall soon commence."

-o-

"I am most glad that you have decided to see things clearly, commander," the masked Revan grinned underneath his artificial visage across the negotiation table. Sitting opposite to him was a dejected and seething Cassus Fett who had his fist clenched in a vicegrip atop the table. The Mandalorian leader had just committed the unthinkable to his people: sign a treaty signifying the official surrender of their forces to the Republic.

"You've won this round, you son of a bitch," Fett cursed vengefully at him from behind his golden helmet, "but we'll be back. One day, the Mandalorian race will rise again to sow terror in the heart of the Republic. And when that day comes, you'll be the first on our radars to be killed."

"Save me your empty threats, Mandalorian scum," Revan dismissed, sitting back in his seat and basking in his victory. "Your fleets are scattered like rabid dogs. Your leader is dead, slain by my own hands. The arms capabilities of your worlds will be whittled down to meaningless scrap heaps. And you honestly think that I am afraid of your angry tirade? How pitiful indeed. I could have you all beheaded right now in this very room, if that is what I wish."

The last remark that escaped Revan's lips stirred ire in the heart of not only Fett, but also the two warriors standing behind him on either side, parallel to Malak and Karath who stood behind Revan. One of them happened to be Canderous Ordo, his full combat suit doing him favors by concealing his scowling face that would have greatly amused the victorious Jedi who sat smirking at them.

"But on the other hand, I am in a most merciful mood today, so count yourself fortunate," Revan said arrogantly, then dismissed them with a wave of his hand. "That will be all for this treaty. Now get off of my ship, take what remains of your pathetic little fleet and leave my sight."

The incensed Mandalorians stormed out of the negotiation chamber, each taking a fuming look at the smug Revan who sat with his hands wrapped against the table. The shame and ire of this day would haunt them for years to come, and never leave them until the day they died.

"Something up, Canderous?" Kael called out to the Mandalorian from behind, snapping him out of his thoughts. His mind focusing again on the present, Canderous continued to walk slowly down the corridor in the direction of Davik's room. Ten minutes had passed since Ice departed on her own to end the crime lord's life, and it was deemed to be all the time she needed to accomplish that mission.

"Huh? Nothing," Canderous shook his head. Telling Kael the stories of how he came from being a top Mandalorian warrior in the conflict with the Republic to the honorless position of errand-boy to Davik caused much disappointment in him. "Just thinking back to the old times."

Looking behind him to ensure that Elena and Mission were following closely, Kael made momentary eye contact with both before averting his eyes forward again. He had so much that he wanted to ask both of them: Elena's past, particularly the details of what role she played in Revan's capture, as well as more about the so-called "Griff" that Mission had previously mentioned. But he knew that as long as they still remained on Taris, such conversations had to wait.

Both Canderous and Kael glanced impatiently at the security cameras which stared down at them from above. The presence of the red power lights on the bottom left corner of the devices told Canderous that they were still active, and would record any and all words from them that would give away their secret.

Canderous's eyes then winced with suspicion as he laid eyes on Davik's personal Twi'lek servants who walked towards them from the end of the corridor. The pair had suggestive looks on their faces as they approached, their gazes fixed solely on Kael whose face froze over with surprise.

"Greetings, Master Brenil," they both greeted their guest with playful smiles and a bow, then the one on the left spoke further. "Master Davik has sent us to tend to your needs. Your female servant has said that you are most fatigued after your long flight. Would you care to join us in your room for a massage?"

Kael winced and gritted his teeth, a nervous rush coming over his spine as he felt the tender hands of the Twi'leks suggestively give him a sample of their service on his arms and chest. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Mission stare on with her mouth agape in disbelief, and Elena whose eyebrows were contorted in a highly disapproving frown before she noticed his stare and assumed a more neutral expression.

Although he was initially inclined to say no to the offer, he was careful to keep up the ruse created by Ice. "Sure, but later. Why don't the two of you go there and sort things out first? I'm still in the middle of a tour here, as you can see."

"Of course, master. As you wish." The Twi'leks obliged him, their hands seductively slipping off his sides as they departed, drawing Kael's eyes to their curvaceous features before he was reminded to keep his mind on the task at hand by another frown from Elena.

"Sorry," he mouthed at her, then continued alongside Canderous.

"You sure you don't want to go back to your room for some of that?" Canderous chuckled. "They say they offer a massage, but that's just protocol talk, if you know what I mean."

"Whatever," Kael sighed, ashamed to talk about such things with Canderous while he was in the presence of a minor. "Let's just get on with this tour, okay?"

Suddenly taking notice of the absence of a red light when they came under the next security camera, Canderous grinned with excitement. And sure enough, Ice emerged seconds later from Davik's quarters with a grin on her face and the fluorescent sheet she used to collect Davik's handprint in her right hand. Overjoyed to see that her friend was safe, Mission rushed up and threw her arms around Ice, who smiled as she patted Mission's back.

"Watch the sheet, sweetheart," Ice chuckled at Mission, who promptly broke the hug as a precautionary measure. The blond assassin walked directly to T3-M4 and handed it the fluorescent sheet, which it quickly pulled from her hand and placed into its inner compartment. In return, the droid released the weapons it had kept hidden within itself onto the floor, and the three women eagerly took up their arms.

"Remember: we only have one shot at this. Blow it, and we're screwed," Canderous warned them. "Now follow me, and remember the signs and instructions that I give you. We're going to need it."

-o-

Bastila sat alone in her and Elena's bedroom, meditating with her legs crossed on top of her bed. Her mind was still racing and rattled after meeting the man whose face was forever etched in her thoughts. No matter how often and how fiercely she recited the Jedi Code in her head to soothe her heart, she felt as if she was only deceiving herself by attempting to dismiss the emotions which threatened to overwhelm her entire being.

There is no peace, there is chaos.

There is no knowledge, only deceit.

There is no serenity, there is anguish.

There is no harmony, there is despair.

There is…him…And there is no escaping it.

"Bastila?" Carth called out to her as he quietly walked in the room. Zaalbar was not with him, presumably taking another nap on the sofa in order to catch up on some more well-deserved rest after the hell they went through in the sewers.

"C-Carth? What is it?" she asked, her eyes wide open as if she was bewildered by his presence.

"You've been squatting there for over an hour now," he replied, crossing his arms. "I was just worried about you, is all. You seem awfully nervous."

"Nervous, you say?" she answered. "No, it's not that at all. I'm just in the process of calming my nerves further, after having endured the merciless torture of the Vulkars. My body may be fine, but my mind is still fairly rattled from the experience."

"Fair enough," Carth shrugged, then moved to the window. He gazed at the brilliant blue sky, his eyes full of what seemed like optimism for a moment, before looking down in disappointment.

"Is something the matter?" Bastila asked, rising from the bed and walking beside him.

"No, it's just…," he sighed, leaning his right hand against the wall. "It just reminds me so much of Telos. Clear skies, a vibrant city…the nice view we had in our apartment building…"

Bastila couldn't help but place a gentle hand on Carth's shoulder in an attempt to provide what comfort she could. Remembering her own family, she suddenly realized just how much she could relate to the pain that Carth was feeling.

"You blame yourself too much, Carth," she said, sensing his emotions through the Force. "None of us have the power to change things exactly into the way we would like to have them be. You must realize this."

"Heh, that's rich," Carth suddenly turned aggressively, causing Bastila's hand to fly off his shoulder as he looked angrily at her. "I still remember that day clearly, Bastila. I yelled and begged at the Republic high command to grant me a fleet so that I could take it to protect my homeworld. But they didn't. They took their orders straight from the Jedi Council, which shouldn't even have been able to decide our strategy for us."

"Carth…," Bastila sighed with regret, her eyes filled with sympathy.

"So just who are you trying to deceive by telling me that 'nobody can change things exactly into the way they would like to have them be'? That Council of yours sure seems damn confident that they can order us soldiers around behind closed doors. I'm not a trusting man, Bastila – I've seen more than enough betrayal to know that I can't trust anyone, even myself. And after what you said to Kael today before his departure, I'm not sure I can trust you or Elena, either."

Bastila asked in curiosity. "Carth…what do you mean?"

"It can't be just a coincidence, can it?" Carth puffed. "I still recall that Kael was transferred aboard the Endar Spire as per your personal instructions. It was a miracle that he even managed to fight through the waves of Sith who had stormed the ship, but now you and Elena said yourselves that he just may be Force sensitive, as well. So how do you expect me to not suspect that there may be part of something big that I'm being kept in the dark of?"

Bastila swallowed nervously, and her chest began to rise and fall as her breathing grew more erratic. Carth's eyes were burning with fury, and it was obvious that the anger in him would not be doused without providing him with a sufficient answer.

"If you recall the fact that Kael was indeed transferred aboard the Endar Spire by my personal instructions, Carth, then you must also remember that he was not a lone transfer, but part of a full list of more than two hundred names. In fact, the ultimate choice regarding who was selected was not made by me, but by the Masters of the Jedi Council – I was effectively nothing but a messenger, sent to relay their decision to the Endar Spire. The basis of selection for all who were called up was talent and ability, which he had aplenty. His swordsmanship was almost unrivalled in the examination scores we partly based our decision upon. Elena and I had absolutely no idea of his Force sensitive nature – of that I can assure you."

Carth stubbornly shot back. "You think you can persuade me with your words, but your eyes tell me otherwise. No matter what comes out of the mouth of a liar, their eyes can never deceive. I've learned that the hard way."

"You don't believe me?"

"Have a guess."

Bastila stared intently at the man's eyes, knowing all too well that he was relentlessly scanning her eyes for even the slightest hint of deception. One false move on her part could well and truly begin a chain of events which could only end with the unravelling of the truth before the time was right: something that could prove to be disastrous in the time when they needed unity and trust above all.

"So you won't tell me," Carth concluded. "Well, then maybe I'll have to question Elena, instead. And if that fails, I'm going to do the only thing that can give me the answers I'm looking for, no matter how long it's going to take. I'm going to keep an eye on him. Sooner or later, I'll know the truth."

Not wishing to put up further with the pilot's incessant accusations and conspiracies, Bastila moved to return to her bed. "Do as you will. I only hope that you don't jeopardize the mission with your actions."

But then, from the corner of her eye, she saw a red flash high up in the sky, vanishing as quickly as it initially appeared. Then another, some distance to its left. Another to its right…followed by several more all around…

No…it couldn't be…

"Get down!" she screamed, pulling Carth to her using the Force as she dived backwards onto the floor. A second later, a massive explosion shattered the window, sending glass flying in all directions as Bastila rolled to avoid the shards with Carth firmly in her grasp. She groaned, her hearing drowned out in a static noise that caused searing pain to engulf her head. Zaalbar jolted awake on the couch and frantically ran towards the two stunned humans, lifting them up onto their feet.

Looking out what remained of the window, they could see death and carnage rain down onto the buildings and people of Taris from above. The streets were filled with the chorus of endless screams of men, women and children, and fire engulfed close to every inch of the city. Airspeeders dropped out of the sky like flies towards the helpless victims below, and their drivers incinerated in flashes of fire. Chaos and panic was visible as far as the eye could see, and an entire planet would soon be reduced to ashes.

On the ground, civilians and Sith soldiers alike looked with horror at the sky. Sith officers scrambled to use their communication devices in a desperate hope to make a connection with their superiors in the fleet above, but to no avail. Bastila watched on, paralyzed with fear as she saw a cloud of smoke and ash rising from a spot in the city streets where a man, woman and three young children stood merely seconds ago. Dead bodies and mutilated limbs littered the streets, some individuals having been granted at least the mercy of an instant death, while others struggled for breath under piles of rubble that crushed down upon their broken bodies.

The laser cannons of the Sith fleet did not discriminate when choosing their victims. Young, old, man, woman, children or even newborn babies – none were shown any degree of mercy or granted even the smallest amount of respite from the fate that awaited them.

Carth stared at the ensuing carnage in shock, too scarred to even shed a tear for the victims. He remembered the day he arrived on the ruined surface of Telos following its destruction at the hands of Saul Karath. He previously could only imagine just what kind of terror his wife had to endure before succumbing to death, but now he was about to witness it firsthand in what would be a most brutal lesson.

-o-

"Move it! Get your asses to that goddamn hangar now!" Canderous barked at the others who ran beside him. T3-M4 barely managed to keep up, as his wheels were not designed for use in strenuous combat. The incessant pounding of the laser cannon rounds crashing down upon the roof of the estate continued ceaselessly, signifying the will of Darth Malak to eradicate all life from the surface of the planet.

Not suspecting the sudden bombardment from the Sith fleet, the party had progressed through the restricted areas of the estate at a leisurely pace so as to avoid the suspicion of the guards. Those who could not be persuaded by Canderous to let them through were either dealt with by the employment of a powerful Mind Trick technique by Elena, or the swift and efficient knifework of Ice. But just as all seemed to go well as planned, the unexpected assault of the Sith armada threw their plans into shambles and drove them to take desperate measures.

They advanced relentlessly through the long corridor that led to the eastern hangar where the Ebon Hawk was located. Having never dealt with Jedi, the guards who manned the walkway leading to the hangar were quickly eliminated as they failed to overcome the skilful saber skills of Elena who blocked all their income shots while Canderous, Kael, Mission and Ice were left free to devastate their ranks with blaster fire.

Before they knew it, they came before the security console of the hangar, and T3 raced towards it. Using its projector function which shot a beam of light from its circular blue sensor screen, it successfully opened up the door by using the scan of Davik's handprint it had stored in its memory.

"Come on! Get moving!" Ice yelled, shoving the back of Mission who had stopped to catch her breath after their strenuous sprint down the corridor. In plain sight was the Ebon Hawk, and fortunately for them it was so far unscathed and undamaged by the bombardment.

"Get aboard the ship!" Canderous ordered as the proceeded to run again. "We'll pick up your friends at the apartment and get off this planet!"

But then, from the corner of his eye, Kael saw a small, spherical object hurtling through the air towards them from behind a pile of supply crates. He instinctively dived at Elena, tackling her and covering her with his body as they sailed leftward through the air, out of the range of the round ball. The Jedi instinctively deactivated her lightsaber, fearing that she may cause accidental harm to the man who once again saved her life as he had done on the Endar Spire.

"Down! Get down!" he cried out to the others, who quickly became aware of the thermal detonator that was thrown straight into the path between them and the Ebon Hawk. The party scrambled in all directions, Canderous kicking aside the helpless T3 and sending him rolling backwards before making a dive to his right and assuming a prone position to avoid the blast. Her heightened combat senses springing her to action, Ice followed Kael's example and threw her arms around Mission, jumping to her left and shielding the young child with her body as the grenade clattered onto the metallic floor.

Quickly realizing just what Kael had dived against her to protect her from, Elena reached out her right hand at the thermal detonator that was yet to explode by a mere second. Using the Force, she hurled it right back in the direction from where it came, and it collided against the heavy containers with a clank. It exploded in a brilliant flash of fire, sending debris and shattered steel in all directions.

When they gazed up to look at the site of the explosion, they saw an unmoving body riddled with scorch marks lying face-down amidst a heap of rubble which lay all around it. The greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy had dealt his own demise, and Canderous was all too happy to see it.

"Get up! Get up!" he yelled, and the rest of his companions, all alive, scrambled back onto their feet. T3 wheeled forward again, grateful to Elena for dealing with the grenade that would have certainly brought about his untimely doom. "Follow me to the cockpit and we'll get this ship up and going!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the others followed quickly after Canderous who headed straight for the controls of the Ebon Hawk. The ship's engines hummed and blasted into life and its loading ramp closed up. They finally began the desperate escape from the doomed surface of Taris, as the ship initiated departure and hurtled through the air in the direction of the apartment where Bastila, Carth and Zaalbar still remained.

And none could look back at the hangar of Davik's estate, in which the fingers of Calo Nord twitched with life, before curling up into a vengeful fist.

-o-

Huddled together behind the sofas of their apartment room, Carth, Bastila and Zaalbar trembled in fear as the entire building rattled and shook. It was not a minute ago that the structure that lay just east of their apartment was utterly destroyed by a hail of devastating fire from the orbiting Sith fleet, and now Carth and Zaalbar wondered if their friends managed to steal the Ebon Hawk and make it out in one piece.

But unlike her two companions who were blind to the Force, Bastila knew for certain through her bond with her fellow Jedi that Elena had survived. And surprisingly to her, she could feel the presence of Kael far clearer. She could hear the two of them crying out to her through the Force, eager to save her as well as Carth and Zaalbar from the horrific death that was drawing ever closer.

And suddenly without warning, the ship zoomed by beside the shattered window of the living room, the powerful winds it generated blowing dust up against them and into their eyes. The ramp of the Ebon Hawk rapidly lowered, inviting them to the most unorthodox of entrances. Ice descended to meet them, holding firmly against the long cylindrical support railing which served to retract and extend the ramp.

"Get your asses on the ship! Now!" she shouted, her voice hardly audible above the racket of the ship's blaring engines. Regardless, the three of them fully understood the sign that she gave and leapt aboard, grateful that the ship wasn't being pummelled by heavy fire from the Sith fleet. The ramp retracted the moment they scrambled into the corridor of the ship, and they rushed to the cockpit where the rest of the crew were huddled behind Canderous who manned the controls with gritted teeth.

Bastila almost slipped and sprained her ankle as the Mandalorian caused the ship to lurch forward, narrowly avoiding three brutal laser rounds which decimated the apartment room. Heaving and creaking as it was pierced by the heavy fire, the apartment building wobbled before finally giving weight, the upper half of it falling down upon the unfortunate souls below.

Arriving at the cockpit, Carth immediately rebuked Canderous who struggled to maintain control of the ship. "Scoot over or stand aside – I'm taking over the controls!"

"Sit your ass down in the co-pilot's seat! I've got this one!" Canderous growled back, unrelenting in his faith in his own piloting abilities which were not lost to him since the end of the war.

"He's one of the best pilots the Republic fleet has!" Bastila argued further with the Mandalorian, swatting her hand sideways as a gesture for him to vacate both the pilot's and co-pilot's seat. "Just do what he says, and hand the controls to us!"

With an angry grunt, Canderous did as he was requested and stood aside. Carth and Bastila frantically took the controls, not even bothering to secure their safety belts. Carth's expertise in piloting enabled him to settle into the controls without the slightest need for an introduction, and he pulled back hard on the control wheel while Bastila powered up the repulsorlifts and engine to maximum capacity.

"Hold on, boys and girls!" Carth warned the others as he sent the Ebon Hawk on an almost perfectly vertical trajectory, realizing that time was scarce and insufficient to make an ordinary leap through the atmosphere. Kael, Elena, Ice, Canderous and Mission desperately held onto absolutely anything they could, while the unlucky T3 gave a screech as he helplessly crashed against the wall behind him.

"Carth! Are you absolutely out of your mind?!" Elena screamed, hugging her arms for dear life around Kael's legs which were left dangling downwards. Overwhelmed by the sheer force produced by the rapid ascent of the Ebon Hawk, Kael felt as if his limbs were about to pop out of their sockets due to the pain Elena's grip produced.

"You have another solution? Be my guest!" Carth retorted back at her. "Just hang on tight! I'll stabilize the ship once we've hit orbit!"

"You better make it quick, Carth! Mission's about to fucking throw up on me!" Ice warned, looking with concern at the Twi'lek whose cheeks seemed to balloon up against her will.

What seemed like stars from the surface of the planet soon showed their true form, merciless rounds of cannon fire continuing to rain down from the Sith Interdictor-class cruisers which became larger and larger in size to the naked eye as the Ebon Hawk soared through the skies and into the darkness of space. Whereas in normal conditions a sigh would have escaped the crew who held for dear life against the pilots' seats before being able to feel their feet on the floor again after the ship stabilized itself, the sight of laser fire whizzing past the cockpit and narrowly missing the Ebon Hawk meant that they could not breathe easy yet.

"There's so many of them!" Mission shuddered and began to shake uncontrollably as she saw the gargantuan Sith fleet continue to bombard the defenceless planet below. "How are we going to get through?"

"You just leave that to me, kiddo!" Carth assured her, albeit not instilling much confidence in the girl. "Kael, run over quickly and man the turret. Any turret! We're going to have some company!" he ordered, after the scanner blared with warning and picked up signals of incoming Sith fighters.

"Set a course for Dantooine! We can find refuge in the Jedi Enclave there!" Elena said to the pilots, and Bastila nodded in agreement.

The younger Jedi Knight shouted out. "We'll have the hyperspace co-ordinates punched in as soon as we can! Hold off those fighters until we do!"

Canderous watched with awe at the ability of Carth, who skilfully navigated the ship through the hostile ocean that threatened to swamp and destroy the ship and its crew. The pilot seemed to be absolutely in control and did not display the slightest sign of desperation, something that he thought was rare in Republic soldiers after seeing many of their pilots steer their ships erratically during the war.

"Mission, come along with me!" Ice told her junior, pulling the frightened child along by her hand. They were trailed after by Zaalbar, who was equally as fearful as Mission, to the starboard dorm.

"Kael! Turret! Now!" Carth shouted authoritatively, sending the soldier running on his feet to the utility lift he recalled seeing next to the medical bay, which led to the three turrets of the Ebon Hawk. Canderous ran after him, and so did Elena, eager to avoid sharing the same fate as the people of Taris.

Heaving himself up the rails, Kael almost lost his grip on the ladder and fell to the floor as heavy fire struck the hull of the Ebon Hawk, thankfully not overcoming its shield which still managed to stay strong. He quickly ascended the ladder after feeling Canderous's impatient hand shove him from behind. Setting his foot down on the upper floor of the ship, he helped up Elena who came after him before he rushed to the starboard side of the ship, hoping that he would successfully find his way to the turret. Canderous accordingly moved to the portside, and Elena made for the dorsal dual turbolaser turret.

Strapping himself into the gunner's seat, Kael grabbed onto the turret controls with shaking hands. A single trigger-like button lay on the outward-facing portion of the right handle of the semi-circular control stick, and he pressed onto it repeatedly to fire powerful shots at the Sith fighters which circled around the Ebon Hawk like Firaxan sharks around a sinking ship.

"Get a damn move-on, Kael!" He jolted in his seat as he heard Canderous bark through the communications system which connected the gunners and the pilot. "I've got three already!"

"Three fighters just passed over me. They're coming to your side, Kael!" Elena informed him. Immediately acting on her words, Kael aimed his turret to his upper left, successfully striking two of the Sith fighters and shattering them to pieces.

"I got 'em!" he answered, their teamwork paying off as the Sith fighters continued to be blown to oblivion.

"We saw it, kid, don't get cocky!" Canderous warned, having seen too often what overconfidence could lead to in battle. "Report in! What the hell's taking so long to make that damn jump?" he angrily yelled, aiming his complains at Carth and Bastila.

"We've almost got the co-ordinates locked in! Just a little longer!" Carth replied hastily.

Kael felt his heartbeat slow to a crawl as he laid his eye on the head-up display, which showed that the Ebon Hawk's shields were down to a critical level of 16.42% after being subjected to a brutal pounding by the Sith fighters. Knowing that they would be doomed for if they took another hit from a major volley of sith laser fire, Kael fought on desperately, ignoring the throbbing pain that arose in his fingers from pulling repeatedly at the semi-automatic trigger.

"Shields critical, you fool! We ain't got a little longer!" Canderous roared, furiously firing away at a group of fighters which had ill-advisedly initiated a strafing run in a line before they were destroyed by his dead-eye accuracy.

"We've done it!" they heard Bastila call back. "Jumping in 3…2…1…"

Stars streaked sideways across Kael's vision as Bastila spoke words which drew a sigh of relief from him. Collapsing back into his seat, he closed his eyes and exhaled sharply as the Sith fleets disappeared from sight, and a blue tunnel of warped space engulfed his vision. Exhausted, he dragged himself back to the ladder to return to the cockpit, turning aside the sweaty strands of his long dark hair which fell over his eyes. His head and body swayed to and fro, rattled by the engagement from which they barely escaped from with their lives, and he struggled to stay on his feet without leaning his shoulder against the side wall.

After opening up the hatch leading down to the main sections of the ship, he reached out with his eerily shaking hand at the railing of the ladder. He froze, however, when he felt a cold and delicate hand wrap over it, and looked up to see that Elena was also in the process of returning to check on the others, equally as disturbed and disorientated as he was.

"I-I'm sorry," she apologized, drawing her hand away. "Are you…are you alright? Not hurt?"

"I'm fine, Elena," Kael replied, doing his best to muster up what strength he had to form a smile.

"That's good to hear. I'm glad," she sighed, closing her eyes as she dropped her head downwards. Her right hand once again clutched at the small wooden pendant around her neck, and she did not notice Kael's gaze which was fixed upon it.

"Though…I was worried about you," he said, looking back down at the ladder and receiving from her a perplexed gaze. "You being in the dorsal turret and all. You must have taken the brunt of the fighting, while Canderous and I had it relatively easy. It's been a long while since I last had to man such a turret, but it's no excuse for my disappointing performance today. You could have been killed. I should have done more to protect you. I'm sorry."

"Kael…," Elena whispered softly to him, turning his cheek with a gentle hand which brought his eyes to meet hers. A moment of silence ensued, during which they uttered no words, and yet understood each other's feelings perfectly as they seemed to gaze deep into each other's inner thoughts.

Hearing Canderous's thumping footsteps approach from the portside turret, Elena blinked her eyes rapidly to snap herself out of her temporary trance. She removed her hand from Kael's face, fighting to suppress the feelings that were budding in her heart, and gave him a quick smile as she accepted his apology. "You've saved my life for the second time this week. Just what are you apologizing for? Now come," she insisted, encouraging him to descend the ladder with a slight prod to his arm. "The others will be awaiting us."

"If you insist," Kael replied, climbing down and setting foot on the main floor of the ship. A sense of relief having flushed over his mind due to the knowledge that they were safe for the time being, he calmly walked back towards the cockpit to check on the status of the ship as well as their next course of action with Carth and Bastila.

But then, an eerie sound pulled him into the direction of the starboard dorm. He could hear muffled cries and gasps, and so he walked in to investigate.

And inside, he saw a dejected Mission, her face buried in a pillow awash with tears in one of the many beds of the dorm, while Ice sat by her bedside and mourned the loss of the planet that was once considered home to both of them. The blonde woman tenderly rubbed the back of the Twi'lek she regarded now as her daughter, and patiently waited for sleep to provide the young child what comfort she could not hope to give through her words.

A/N: Now that Taris is done with, I do believe that I really need to slow things down for at least a chapter or two in order to focus heavily on characterization and the characters' interactions with one another. Because I've been focused so much on keeping things realistic plot-wise up till this chapter (ie: having the characters focus almost solely on escaping Taris and not having a lot of the 'getting to know you' chit-chat that you can indulge in to your heart's content in the game), I can catch up on all the individual characters' subplot points after they reach Dantooine and have a bit of a breather before moving on.

I've simply got a ton of original material all lined up for this fic, and I'm very keen on getting to them. Basically all of the planets' plots have been revamped in major ways, especially Kashyyyk (full-blown civil war between the traditionalists under Freyyr, and Czerka-alinged forces under Chuundar) and Korriban (psychopathic murderer on the loose around the Academy), and I'm simply dying to get to writing on them.

A lot of the other KOTOR I based stories have popularized the "grey" path for Revan, and I have to say that story-wise, it's the most compelling to write about. The game makes things too simple in my opinion regarding morality, where you'd be faced with elementary/babyish stuff like giving people money and medpacs for light side points, and being punished with dark side points for something as minor as losing your temper with the stowaway girl (Hint: she's actually going to have a big impact in this story, just so you know). In this story, I want Revan to be faced with ethical dilemmas as much as possible, demonstrating the real-life fact that there are no true solutions to problems, but only trade-offs between the worst of two possible outcomes.

Till next time, please leave your reviews, and don't forget to read and review THE-WRITING-GEEK, Firebirdie and Renee Enderson's fics as well.